Learning to Live with Independence, Thrift and Health
Many of the choices you'll see in this five week experiment are made to increase your health and enjoyment and do so while saving your money for other priorities. Learn to be independent from the pressures of advertising and social groups by making solid, rational decisions about your health and spending. Congratulations. You stuck with it! Now you have a framework that you can use to expand to other foods and recipes or just vary on the basics.
The total for week five is $38.85. You may have extra eggs by now so determine how many to buy BUT, keep in mind that:
- Buying eggs in the 18 count container is less expensive per egg than by the dozen.
- Eggs last a long time and are your least expensive source of protein (aside from cooking beans and rice).
- They make a protein rich, tasty meal in a hurry. Stuff on toast!
- Large AA Eggs 1.45 for 18
- Sweet Cream Salted Butter 2.94/lb.
- Romaine Lettuce 2.38
- Frozen Mixed Vegetables 2.00
- RO TEL Chipotle Diced Tomatoes 3 EA @ .98
- Yellow Onions 3 EA @ .70
- Carrots, 2 lb bag 1.54
- Red Potatoes 4.47/5lbs
- Multi Grain Bread 1.88
- Fuji Apples, 3 lb bag 3.94
- Cream Cheese 3 EA @ 1.46
- Johnsonville Link Sausages 2.98
- Bunch of Bananas 1.63
- Whole Milk, 1/2 Gallon 1.55
- Old Fashioned Rolled Oats 2.67
Week Five Make Ahead Items
Oatmeal
Make enough for two servings. Store in a Jar and reheat in a skillet, Microwave or even in a pot on the stove by adding a bit of milk or water.
Mashed Potatoes
Use 4 lbs out of your bag of potatoes for making Mashed Potatoes.
Once prepared, put 2 cups of the mashed potatoes in the fridge to save for a dinner of Cheesy Potato Pancakes.
Chicken Stock
If you didn't get this made earlier, pull the carcass and bits out of the freezer and get to it. You'll need it for soup and gravy.
Hamburger Hash
Gravy
You'll need to make the stock before you can make the gravy. Having both the potatoes and gravy in the refer will make you SO happy when you come home tired after classes. You get to learn to make a Roux; the starting point for many great sauces and gravies.
Chicken Soup
If you've run out of energy or time during your Make Ahead Cook, you can wait until meal prep to make this soup but it is so much better if it has a chance to "meld" flavors for at least a day.
Breakfasts
Two Breakfasts
- Pancakes with butter and syrup or yogurt, jam Maybe slice some of your banana fairly thin (1/8") and place a few rounds in the uncooked batter on your skillet for yummy banana pancakes.
Two Breakfasts
- Homemade Oatmeal with nuts, brown sugar, maple syrup, bit of milk....
- 2 sausage links
Three Breakfasts
- Cream Cheese Toast and eggs.
- apples
Lunches
Five Lunches
- Hamburger Hash
- Carrot sticks
Two Lunches
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Apples and peanut butter,
It's really all a human needs to survive!
Dinners
Four Dinners
Use one third of your cooked, frozen chicken, chopped up to mix in with the gravy. Tastes great and goes a long way
- Green salad with Ranch Dressing (you should have a packet of Hidden Valley to make this dressing)
Two Dinners
Use the last third of your cooked frozen chicken in this soup.
- Green salad with Ranch Dressing
- Apples and peanut butter
One Dinner
- Cheesy Potato Pancakes
- Green Salad with Ranch
